Animal Medicine: A Curanderismo Guide to Shapeshifting, Journeying, and Connecting with Animal Allies

(Paperback)

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A guide to connecting with animals and their spiritual wisdom through ancient shamanic practices

Includes an alphabetical guide to 76 animals, explaining each animals spiritual gifts, shapeshifting medicine, the realm they are associated with, and their symbolic meaning when they appear in a dream or vision

Details the trance journeying techniques and shapeshifting practices of ancient Mesoamerican shamanic traditions and modern-day curanderismo

Explores how to strengthen our connections with our spirit animal guides
In this guide, Erika Buena or explores the animal mythologies, spirit journeying techniques, and shapeshifting practices of ancient shamanic traditions and modern-day curanderismo. She examines how indigenous Mesoamerican peoples used animals in their ceremonial healing and divination rites and explains the innate gifts and powers that different animals embody. She explores why certain animals are associated with and provide access to the nonordinary realms--the Underworld, Middleworld, and Upperworld--wherein deities, ancestors, supernatural beings, and medicine can be connected with or obtained. The author explores shapeshifting practices in detail and the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual benefits we can gain by engaging in shapeshifting practices. She also explores how to strengthen our connections with our spirit animal guides.

Offering an alphabetical guide to 76 animals most prevalent in ancient Mesoamericanlegends, ceremonies, and medicinal rites, the author details each animals spiritual gifts, shapeshifting medicine, the realm they are associated with, and their symbolic meaning when they appear in a dream or vision. Providing multiple methods to connect with animals for spiritual guidance, self-empowerment, and healing, Buena or reveals how each of us can enrich our lives with ancient Mesoamerican wisdom for working with animal guides.

Reviews

The animal kingdom, in its love and compassion to humans, is always willing to gift us with what we need the most when our souls are in need of teachings, guidance, and medicine. We, however, have lost so much of our connections to the ancient wisdom and the shamanic practices, making it quite difficult to translate the meaning of what is being transmitted. In Animal Medicine, the great curandera Erika Buenaflor has gifted us with her deep understanding of ancient shamanism and how we can rescue our sacred relationship with animals, temples, rituals, and ageless wisdom. This book is filled with teachings and practices from a rich culture, kept sacred by the curanderx of Mesoamerica. Animal Medicine is here to inspire us to discover and develop our own spiritual path, a path leading to the healing of our body, mind, and soul. Muchas gracias, Erika Buenaflor, for your curanderas gifts to us all. * Vera Lopez, coauthor of Shamanic Mysteries of Peru *
As a bruja, I want to thank Erika Buenaflor from the bottom of my heart for all the research, love, and dedication she put into this book. Animal Medicine is profound, groundbreaking, and perfect for students of all levels! I am fortunate to have experienced Erikas magic in person. She is a loving and strong spirit, a conduit from times past, and her work is here to heal our future generations. I am so elated to give this book five stars for all the valuable secrets Erika shares with us. She is one of the most unique and approachable voices in the shamanic community. * Valeria Ruelas, the Mexican Witch and author of Cosmopolitan Love Potions *
Filled with information and experiential exercises to give you a first- person perspective, this book is a delightful deep dive into Mesoamerican shamanic wisdom! Buenaflors work is not only valuable for exploring animal spirits from the curanderx perspective but will also augment the relationships with spirits you have already encountered on your shamanic path. * Evelyn C. Rysdyk, author of Spirit Walking, The Norse Shaman, and The Nepalese Shamanic Path (with B *
Erika Buenaflor has added significantly to our understanding of curanderismo with her three previous books dealing with cleansing rituals, soul retrieval, and sacred energy. Her new book, Animal Medicine, adds to an ever-expanding examination of curanderismo and shamanism, which cannot be complete without understanding the role that animal spirits play in the esoteric and mystical world of human experience. * Antonio No Zavaleta, Ph.D., author of Curandero: Hispanic Ethno-psychotherapy & Curanderismo. *
With Animal Medicine, Erika Buenaflor lays an offering at our feet of how to commune with nature and access our animal guides. This comprehensive text is a must-read for anyone looking to connect with ancient Mesoamerican traditions that help us understand our physical world, dreams, animal meanings, myth, and symbolic discourse. * Anglica M. Yaez, Ph.D., editor of United States History from a Chicano Perspective *
Erika Buenaflor has both researched and had in-depth experience to gather an incredible wealth of wisdom teachings on animal medicine to assist journeyers in their deep connection with animal spirits and allies. If you have a desire to understand how to work with animal medicine, this is definitely the book for you! The imagery is provocative and stirring to the psyche, opening the consciousness to the inner journey. * Linda Star Wolf, Ph.D., author of Shamanic Breathwork *
Animal Medicine is a very heartfelt and authentically researched addition to the kingdoms of animal spirit literature and wisdom. Long live Itzamna! * James Endredy, author of Advanced Shamanism and Shamanic Alchemy *
"What a great combination of intellectual information and understanding of shapeshifting and journeying with animals via ancient Mesoamerican legends, ceremonies, and medicinal rites. Theres a solid base given in animal mythologies, spirit journeying techniques and shapeshifting techniques of ancient shamanic traditions and modern-day curanderismo. If youre ready to tap into a deeper, more grounded, wider appreciation of journeying with animal allies, this is an incredible book to delve into. Its easy to feel the depth of knowledge and experience being shared. Its less easy to take the journey yourself but with Erika as your guide, you can feel confident in moving forward." * New Spirit Journal *
"Animal Medicine: A Curanderismo Guide to Shapeshifting, Journeying, and Connecting with Animal Allies" is an extraordinary, in-depth guide into Mesoamerican lore about animal spirit guides. Chapters explore the physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits that ancient wisdom and animal guides can bring to everyday life. The shapeshifting discussed transcends the physical realm to include etheric or astral shapeshifting, which can provide greater insight into time-space connections. Animal Medicine is fascinating to browse, and highly recommended a welcome addition to metaphysical studies collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this book is also available in a Kindle edition ($12.99)." * Midwest Book Review *

Author Bio

Erika Buenafl or, M.A., J.D.,has a masters degree in religious studies with a focus on Mesoamerican shamanism from the University of California at Riverside. A practicing curandera for more than 20 years, descended from a long line of grandmother curanderas, she has studied with curanderx in Mexico, Peru, and Los Angeles and gives presentations on curanderismo in many settings, including at UCLA. She lives in Tujunga, California.